freaking out blowing up & shutting down · rewire your anxious brain: how to use the...
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Freaking OutBlowing Up &Shutting DownIt’s not you…
It’s your brain
Esther Perry, MA, LPC
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NEURONS
Neurons
are the
nerve cells
that
connect
the brain
and body.
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The Thalamus receives sensory
information and shares it with the
Frontal Cortex and the Amygdala.
The Thalamus
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The
frontal
cortex is
the main
decision
center
of the
brain.
This includes:
• Judgment
• Problem Solving
• Memory
• Language
• Planning
• Impulse Control
• Expression
The Frontal Cortex
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The Amygdala
The Amygdala’s job is to
detect and manage threats.
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• Saves short recordings of your senses
from stressful experiences.
• When a current experience matches a
recording, the emergency protocol starts.
• The amygdala takes control of the brain
and body to react.
• This reaction creates a chain of neurons
linking senses, emotions, thoughts, and
body responses.
THE AMYGDALA
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THE BRAIN TAKEOVER
DEFENSE RESPONSE
The first
step of the
emergency
protocol is
to cut off
the Frontal
Cortex.
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The Vagus Nerve
(Bundle)
Sends and receives messages
between the amygdala and these internal
organs.
THE BODY TAKEOVER
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THE BODY TAKEOVER
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ACTIVE TAKEOVER
If the autonomic nervous system is triggered, the body releases Adrenaline
and Cortisol
which prepares the body to
activelydefend itself.
• Brain hyper-focuses on looking for
danger
• Lungs breathe hard to fill your body with
oxygen
• Heart races to send oxygen to muscles
• Muscles get loaded with energy and start
to shake
• Body sweats to cool down hot muscles
• Temperature changes
• Turns off digestion to save energy
Freaking Out and Blowing Up
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PASSIVE TAKEOVER
If the body needs to conserve
energy, the
Dorsal Vagal Response
shuts the body down to passively
defend itself and save energy.
• Difficulty focusing (even on stressors)
• Lack of breath
• Slowed heart rate
• Flat facial affect
• Disassociation
• Collapse, including fainting
• Shut down unnecessary functions
• Sleepiness
• Stunted growth
• Numbed to pain and emotion
Shutting Down
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THE BASAL GANGLIA
Once a reaction
chain repeats
enough times,
the network will
be saved in the
Basal Ganglia.
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THE BASAL GANGLIA
When the chain moves here,
it becomes a muscle memory (autopilot).
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The more the amygdala reacts,
the more intensely the reward system pushes the brain and
body to look for activities that add pleasure or remove distress.
Balancing Defenses
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Retrain the Chain
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FACE TO REPLACE
• Sleep 7-9 hours every night to stay charged.
• Calm the Vagus Nerve regularly.
• Exercise without headphones and screens.
• Practice Mindfulness daily to stay aware of your
senses, body reactions, thoughts and emotions.
• Unplug from electronics to stop avoidance.
• Use treatments that engage the full chain:
EMDR, Neurofeedback, Somatic Approaches,
Medication, DBT, CBT, etc.
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Sleep Tips• Get in bed when you’re ready to sleep, train your brain to match the
bedroom with sleep.
• Make a routine and stick to it, train your brain to have a sleep time.
• Avoid screens 1 hour before bed, blue light triggers feeling awake.
o If needed, blue-light filter glasses can be worn in the evening.
• Avoid naps after 1pm as it can interrupt evening sleep signals.
• Exercise will increase tiredness and regulate sleep signals.
• Phone Apps:
o Blue light filters will reduce blue light on the phone - “Twilight”
o Sleep meditations, sounds and stories - “Calm”
o Sleep trackers and smart alarms - “Sleep Cycle”
• Sleep sounds with specific frequencies and patterns to increase sleep
signals (goo.gl/pcJqMz) or look for ASMR videos on YouTube.
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CALM THE VAGUS NERVE
Mouth/Throat/Face:
• Breathe, whistle, sing, hum, chew gum, laugh, drink or gargle cold water, splash cold water on the face
Chest/Lungs:
• Breathe, ice pack on the chest, cough, weighted blanket
Heart:
• Meditation, mindfulness, prayer, focus on gratitude, share (be vulnerable) with trusted friends or family
Digestion:
• Take probiotics, eat fiber, tense and release abdomen muscles, eat small snacks often for upset stomach, be mindful of hunger/full signals
Whole Body:
• Massage, stretching, acupuncture, yoga, exercise
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• Focus on breathing OUT
• Hold one hand on belly
and one hand on chest
• Go slowly & consistently
• Balances oxygen levels
• Stimulates Vagus Nerve
• Turns Frontal Cortex ON
HOW?
WHY?
BREATHING
http://imgur.com/gallery/Huou7Gh
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Mindfulness
• Set aside a time and place every day.
• Remove all distractions.
• Focus attention to yourself.
• Notice your senses, body, emotions, and thoughts.
• Try not to judge what you discover inside yourself.
• If needed, remind yourself of the bigger picture and
realize that feelings pass. Use breathing, if needed.
• Challenge yourself to increase how often and how
long you are mindful until you can see the results.
• Keep it up!
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Mindful Activities
• Prayer, Scriptures, and Meditation
• Yoga or Martial Arts (goo.gl/vhP1wz)
• Guided Meditations (goo.gl/wRdAXD)
• App: Stop, Breathe, and Think
• Playing an Instrument or Singing
• Gardening
• Journal (Writing, Gratitude, Bullet, etc)
• Tapping (goo.gl/1UcFju)
• Crafting, Art and Creating
• 5 Senses Grounding (goo.gl/MYAV2W)
• Spend Quality Time with Loved Ones
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Managing Electronics
Phone Apps:
Stop, Breath & Think - mindfulness app
Forest – help grow trees by taking phone breaks
Offtime – set limits and block activity for focus
Cold Turkey – block phone for set times
OurPact – parental control for limiting use
Kaspersky SafeKids – parental control for limiting use
Computer Programs:
Cold Turkey – set limits on Mac or Windows to focus
FocusMe – set limits on phone, Mac or Windows
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References
Amen, D. G., Routh, L. C. (2003). Healing Anxiety and Depression. New
York: Penguin Group.
Arnsten, A. F. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal
cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10(6): 410-422.
Dana, D. A., Porges, S. W. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy. New
York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Dukakis, K. & Tye, L. (2007). Shock: the healing power of electroconvulsive
therapy. New York: Penguin Group.
Field, T. & Diego, M. (2008). Vagal activity, early growth, and emotional
development. Infant Behavior & Development, 31(3): 361-373.
Graybiel, A. M. & Grafton, S. T. (2015). The striatum: where skills and
habits meet. Cold Springs Harbor Perspectives in Biology 7:a021691
Koenigs, M. & Grafman, J. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder: the role
of medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Neuroscientist, 15(5): 540-548.
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References
Matosin, N. Cruceanu, C. & Binder, E. B. (2017). Preclinical and clinical
evidence of DNA methylation changes in response to trauma and chronic
stress. Chronic Stress, 1: doi:10.1177/2470547017710764
McCauley, K. Clegg, J. (2009). Pleasure Unwoven: a personal journey about
addiction [DVD]. Salt Lake City, UT: Institute for Addiction Study.
Pittman, C. M., Karle, E. M. (2015). Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use
the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry. Oakland, CA: New
Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Sternberg, E. J. (2015). Neurologic: The Brain’s Hidden Rationale Behind Our
Irrational Behavior. New York: Pantheon Books.
Stiles, J. & Jernigan, T. L. (2010). The Basics of Brain Development.
Neuropsychology Review, 20: 327-348.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. New York: Viking.
Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep. Penguin
Random House.